Struggling to Get Started

     I wrote in the April  Villager that our late planting start this spring was likely to be more because our soil was too wet  than because it was too cold. Almost correct, but not quite. It was not until April 11 that our garden patch finally dried enough to allow us to till. We built our raised beds on Friday, planted spinach, broccoli and other seedlings on Saturday, and put in our peas on Sunday just before the rain started again.

Beds are raised about 8" above pathways covered with landscape cloth.

     What I had not anticipated, however, is that the rain would turn to snow as the temperature dropped to 26 degrees. This is what farmers call a "hard frost," and it can be deadly to many tender flowers and vegetables.

My raised beds the morning after snow and hard frost.

     We noticed on Saturday that the garden centers of many of the big box stores were jammed with tomatoes, basil and other tender annuals that are totally useless for at least another month. I hope their customers did not lose their plants the very first day they bought them. People who covered their plants overnight would have kept them alive, but they will not grow until the weather gets warmer.

     Fortunately, we knew to plant only our frost hardy veggies this weekend. We could have planted violas and pansies as well. We will wait a month or so to plant the rest.

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     One consolation during these weeks of rain, cold, and now once more snow is the appearance of spring bulbs. Crocus made their appearance a few weeks ago and daffodils are now popping up as well.

     And every spring I am asked what those little blue flowers are in people's lawns. The answer is "scilla," another hardy spring bulb that makes quite a display for a few weeks in lawns along Longwood and Prospect.

     Scilla can be ordered from most bulb catalogs. It is also, however, a bit controversial.  Like daffodils, scilla "naturalizes," that is, the bulbs multiply and spread naturally in the landscape. If you like them this is a good thing. If you don't they can be considered "invasive." They can be mowed right after bloom, but as you can see, the blades are more coarse than grass. The true aficionado of a fine lawn would find the bulbs unwelcome house guests in their yard. I mentioned scilla in the Villager a few years ago and was chastised by some for promoting an invasive weed. Good neighbors will show a little caution.